Jointly organised by The Palace Museum, the Dunhuang Academy and the HKPM, Hong Kong’s largest symposium on Chinese art conservation in recent years brings together over 40 leading experts from Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas to formulate a roadmap for the field and promote collaboration
The Palace Museum, the Dunhuang Academy, and the Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM) co-organise “Best Practices and Future Directions: The International Symposium on Chinese Art Conservation”, which is being held at the HKPM from 12 to 14 December 2023. The symposium aims to formulate a roadmap for this fast-changing field both locally and globally and foster international and inter-institutional collaboration. The three-day symposium brings together over 40 museum directors, conservators, and scientists from top-tier cultural institutions across the globe, who will deliver keynote speeches and presentations. Other activities include a roundtable discussion, visits to conservation facilities, and poster display. The symposium is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of its Lead Sponsor, Bei Shan Tang Foundation, and the significant contributions of its Partner, Conservation Office of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD); its Collaborator, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art, as well as other participating organisations.
The opening ceremony for the symposium was held today at the HKPM’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Auditorium, followed by keynote speeches on the topic of “The Current State and Future Directions of Chinese Art Conservation”. Speakers include Dr Wang Xudong, Director of The Palace Museum; Dr Guo Qinglin, Deputy Director of The Dunhuang Academy; Dr Louis Ng, Director of the HKPM; Dr Chase F. Robinson, Dame Jillian Sackler Director, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art; Dr Jun Tomita, Director, Kyushu National Museum; and Dr Zhao Feng, Dean of the School of Art and Archaeology, Zhejiang University. A roundtable discussion themed “International and Inter-institutional Collaboration in Chinese Art Conservation” took place in the afternoon, during which Dr Jun Tomita, Dr Guo Qinglin, Dr Zhao Feng; Tse Kin Fai, Edward, Head of Conservation Office, LCSD; Dr Daisy Yiyou Wang, Deputy Director (Curatorial and Programming) of the HKPM; Donna Strahan, Head of Conservation and Scientific Research, Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art; and Dr Lei Yong, Deputy Director of the Conservation Department of The Palace Museum, took part in the discussions.
Dr Wang Xudong, Director of the Palace Museum, said, “With a focus on Chinese art conservation research, the symposium invites experts and scholars from museums and conservation institutions around the globe to share their expertise. Together we discussed key issues, new achievements, and trends in our effort to enhance mutual understanding, inspire creativity, explore directions for the future development of the field. We also hope to build new platforms for collaboration and international partnerships. As the organisers of the symposium, The Palace Museum, The Dunhuang Academy, and the HKPM hope to work with museums and other cultural institutions from around the world to strengthen exchange, collaboration, and sharing, through which we can explore the value of Chinese art and other civilisations and preserve cultural diversity. We also hope to promote dialogue among world civilisations and contribute to the cause of building a community with a shared future for the mankind.”
Dr Guo Qinglin, Deputy Director of the Dunhuang Academy, said, “The Dunhuang Academy today administers the most world cultural heritage sites in the largest management area in China. Over the past seventy-nine years since its establishment, the Academy has upheld the guiding principle of ‘protection, research, and promotion’. This symposium is an excellent platform, where more people can gain a better understanding of the unremitting efforts of The Dunhuang Academy in heritage site and cultural heritage preservation, as well as in international collaboration and public education. We look forward to deepening our partnerships with other institutions in the field of conservation.”
Dr Louis Ng, Director of the Hong Kong Palace Museum, said, “The HKPM advances the field of Chinese art conservation and carries traditional culture forward. We are delighted to invite leading experts in museums and other cultural organisations to explore Chinese art conservation, which will have a positive, long-lasting impact on collaboration among these organisations. By focusing on this significant topic, we hope to consolidate the role of Hong Kong in the field Chinese art conservation and raise public awareness of conservation around the globe.”
Lillian Kiang, CEO of Bei Shan Tang Foundation, said, “With a vision to enhance everyone’s understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, the Foundation encourages scholarly research and preservation of traditional Chinese art in both academic and museum sectors. We are delighted to be the Lead Sponsor of this symposium with the aim of advancing scholarship and supporting capacity building for Chinese art conservators and museum professionals in Hong Kong and beyond.”
On the first day of the symposium, participants visited the conservation laboratories of the Conservation Office of LCSD, the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the conservation studio and Gallery 2 of the HKPM. On the third day (14 December), conservation specialists will share their insights on a range of topics, including new conservation facilities and conservation concerns for new museums; Chinese conservation traditions and innovation; multidisciplinary collaboration in conservation and heritage site preservation; innovative public education on Chinese art conservation; and the current state and future directions of conservation professional training.
Members of the public who are interested in joining the third day of “Best Practices and Future Directions: The International Symposium on Chinese Art Conservation” may register on site at the LG/F of the HKPM.
Remarks
About The Palace Museum
Established in 1925, The Palace Museum is a broadly representative national museum. It is housed on the grounds of the palace of the Ming and Qing dynasties known as the Forbidden City and its collection is based on Ming and Qing imperial collections. In 1961 the State Council named it a Nationally Protected Key Cultural Heritage Site, and in 1987 it was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. The Palace Museum became a national 5A tourist attraction in 2007. The following year, it was among the first Chinese museums recognized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration as a first-grade museum. Covering over one million square metres, the architectural compound under The Palace Museum’s administration consists of around 9,000 bays (internal spaces defined by columns) of Ming and Qing era structures, making it the world’s largest and best-preserved historical palatial complex.
Today, The Palace Museum is an unparalleled art treasure house with a vast collection of over 1.86 million pieces in twenty-five major categories. It showcases the time-honoured and splendid Chinese civilisation to the public through its imperial palace architecture; the display of original interior settings to illustrate the history of the imperial court; galleries dedicated to decorative arts, timepieces, paintings, calligraphic works, ceramics, and sculptures; and thematic exhibitions.
About The Dunhuang Academy
The Dunhuang Academy is a comprehensive public research institute that administers three World Heritage Sites — the Mogao Grottoes at Dunhuang, the Maiji Mountain Grottoes at Tianshui, and the Bingling Temple Grottoes in Yongjing — as well as nationally protected key cultural heritage sites, including the Yulin Caves at Guazhou, the West Caves of Thousand Buddhas at Dunhuang, and the North Grottoes Temple at Qingyang. Over the past seventy-nine years since its establishment, the Academy has upheld the guiding principle of “protection, research, and promotion”. Individuals of successive generations at the Mogao Grottoes, supported by the “Mogao spirit,” have overcome many challenges and made continuous progress. The Academy today administers the most world cultural heritage sites in the largest management area in China. As the world’s biggest research institute for Dunhuang studies, the Academy is home to China’s National Research Centre for the Preservation Engineering and Technology of Ancient Wall Paintings and Earthen Sites, a first-grade national museum in China, and the Centre for Dunhuang Cultural Heritage Preservation of Gansu Province. Recognized by national and local authorities, the Academy serves as an international scientific cooperation base for Silk Road cultural heritage preservation, a national demonstration base for combining culture with science and technology, and for talent recruitment. In recent years, the Academy’s achievements have been widely recognized by the CPC, the State, and people from all sectors of society.
About the Hong Kong Palace Museum
The Hong Kong Palace Museum aspires to become a leading institution in the study and appreciation of Chinese art and culture while advancing dialogue among world civilisations. The Hong Kong Palace Museum is a collaborative project between the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Palace Museum and is funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust with a donation of HK$3.5 billion for its establishment, as well as some of the annual exhibitions and educational programmes in 2023–2031.
Embracing new curatorial approaches, the Museum combines a Hong Kong perspective with a global vision to present precious artefacts from the Palace Museum and other important cultural institutions around the world. Through research, exhibitions, and educational and professional exchange programmes, the Museum aims to build international partnerships and position Hong Kong as a global hub for art and culture. At heart a resource that belongs to the local community, the Museum strives to inspire community engagement, foster dialogue, and promote creativity and interdisciplinary collaboration.
About Bei Shan Tang Foundation
Bei Shan Tang Foundation was founded in 1985 by Dr J. S. Lee with a tax-exempt charitable (Section 88) status. Along with its original mission to promote Chinese art and culture, the Foundation now also dedicates a significant part of its resources to driving strategic initiatives to support the local education ecosystem. With a vision to enhance everyone’s understanding and appreciation of Chinese culture, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing scholarship in the field of Chinese art and culture through three strategic priorities: 1) encouraging scholarly research and preservation of traditional Chinese art in both academic and museum sectors; 2) supporting capacity building for Chinese art historians and museum professionals in Hong Kong and beyond; and 3) furthering scholarly research of Chinese art leveraging Bei Shan Tang’s collection. The Foundation’s key self-initiated programmes in Chinese art and culture include the J. S. Lee Memorial Fellowship Programme, Forum for Curators of Chinese Art, Bei Shan Tang Doctoral Thesis Grant, and Bei Shan Tang Conservation Seminar Series, in addition to grants and financial support for research projects, exhibitions, conferences, publications, and education initiatives related to Chinese art and culture co-initiated or organised by museums, universities, schools, and NGOs around the world.
About the West Kowloon Cultural District
The West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest and most ambitious cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong on 40 hectares of reclaimed land located alongside Victoria Harbour. With a varied mix of theatres, performance spaces, and museums, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, providing 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
https://www.westkowloon.hk/
